Washing-machine



UNITED STATES PATENT fOFFICE.

JOHN ALLEN, OF GAliE-NA, MARYLAND.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters `Patent No To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jol-IN ALLEN, of Galena, in the county of Kent and State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tub lashing-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1, is a vertical central section of a tub washing machine constructed with my improvements. Fig. 2, is a plan View of the lower stationary rubbing surface of the same. Fig. 3, is an inverted plan of the moving rubbing surface.

Similar letters `of reference in each of the several figures indicate corresponding parts.

The object of my invention is to combine in one machine, the three functions necessary to the perfect washing of clothes with tub machines, to wit: an angular squeezing action, an oblique rubbing action and a wedge like pummeling action.

The nature of said invention consists in so dressing, with zigzag ribs, the bottom of the tub and the undersurface of the rubbing disk, that the approximating angles of the ribs of the disk and tub shall form rhomboidal figures wherein the clothes are subjected to an angular squeezing and oblique rubbing action, and the approximating knuckle or wedge shaped ends of said angles. shall, when the motion of the disk is reversed, enter the rhomboidal spaces, and pummel and loosen up the clothes so as to allow a fresh supply of cleansing water to circulate through them and thus prepare them for a succeeding angular squeezing and oblique rubbing action. By this arrangement of zig-zag ribs, several important advantages are secured: 1st. In a tub, say. of 2Q inches diameter there will be some 300 inches in length of smooth semipylindrical rubbing surface. 2nd. There will be 168 pummels or knuckles which will perform the very necessary oiice of knuckling the clothes. And there will also be 96 squeezing' angles' which will perform the office of squeezing and expressing the water from the clothes so as to allow a fresh quantity to circulate through their pores. The Voperations of pummeling and squeezing being carried on successively as the angles of the ribs are so placed that they alternately act as pummelers 21,476, dated September 14, 1858.

.and squeezers whether the disk be'rturned to the right or left.

To enable others, skilled in the art, to make and use my inventionl I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A, represents the tub furnished with a central shaft B.

C, is the vibrating disk furnished with a central hole so as to be fitted over the shaft B. It is also provided with a cross head or handle D, which is supported by two vertical standards E, E, projecting up from the top of the disk; The machine thus far described is similar to that in common use.

F, F, represent a series of zig-zag ribs, say 12, arranged radially or tangentially on the bottom of the tub A, and on the under side of the vibrating disk C. The angles of the disk ribs are set just the reverse of the angles of the tub ribs and with this exception, the following description will apply to both. The ribs in their transverse section are semicircular in form and are applied by dividing the circle, of the disk radially into, say, 12 equal parts and then dividing its radius into 4 or any number of equal spaces and from these points on the radius scribing concentric circles which cut all the radii and thus forni between each radius frustums of cones. and then drawing lines so as to cut the frustums of cones diagonally or in a manner to give the proper angles for the laying` down of the zig zag ribs, as illus trated in the drawing.

By examining the drawing, it will be seen that when the knuckles a a at one end of the angles of the ribs on the disk approach the knuckles of one end of the stationary ribs on the bottom of the tub, the V shaped angles Y), b, also approach and consequently the clothes are both knuckled and squeezed at the same time, and in the return move ment of the disk those portions of the clot-hes which have just been knuckled are squeezed while those portions which were squeezed at the start are expanded by the knuckles of the disk and water allowed to circulate through the pores of the clothes until they are again brought in contact with the stationary knuckles on the bottom of the tub, when they are again pummeled as before described and thus the operation continues, different portions of the clothes being alternately subjected to a pummeling and squeezing operation.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

So dressing, with zig-zag ribs F, F, the bottom of the tub and undersurface of the rubbing disk, that the approximating angles,

Z2, of the ribs F, of the disk and tub shall form rhomboidal figures wherein the clothes are subjected to an angular squeezing and oblique rubbing action, and the approxi- 10 mating knuckle or Wedge shaped ends a, of said angles, shall, when the motion of the G. YORKE ATLEE.v ADAM PRrrz. 

